How much storage space does a sports bike have?

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AyeBeSee

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I'm a college student, my car broke down, I have a younger brother that is a senior. I'm thinking about getting a bike for college but I don't want to carry my books around. Would there be any space for me to fit lets say a 5" (height) book and lets say the dimensions are the same as an average binder. Bikes I have in mind are sports bikes like a ninja or gsxr etc..

PS I'm planning to give my younger brother a car for college cause I go to a community college while he might go to somewhere far away
 
it doesn't have storage,you can buy a tank bag and put your school stuff there or wear a backpack. Or get a motorcycle with saddlebags!
 
Depends on your definition of sports bike. If you have a spacific bike in mind you can check on aftermarket hardbags. Best if they are locking and easily removable.

There are factory hard bags available for my VFR, but it is more a sport touring bike to begin with.

A tank bag can hold alot...more than the average urban backpack. Plus you could ride with a backpack. So between a tank bag and a backpack you can carry plenty.
 
Most sportbikes have zero storage. Enough for your permit and, if you're lucky, a disk lock, but that's it.

Fortunately though, there are several big aftermarket manufacturer who specialize in producing top case and side case racks for motorcycles, including sportbikes. Perhaps the biggest two manufacturers as far as sportbikes are concerned are Givi (from Italy) and Hepco & Becker (from Germany). There is also SW-Motech (from Germany) which focuses a bit more on adventure touring bikes.

Here is the Givi website: http://www.givi.it/My-motorcycle/

Here is the Hepco & Becker website: http://neu.hepco-becker.de/Web/bike.php?language=2

Here is the SW-Motech website: http://shop.sw-motech.com/lshop,showrub,131725497817503,en,1317254978-17503,brands,,,,.htm

On each of the three links I provided you can search for make/model/year. For some sportbikes you will find no rack at all, for others one, for others two, for others three. More traditional-looking sportbikes are easier to fit with a rack since they have a substantial rear frame and fender whereas the most extreme-looking more modern sportbikes are often very difficult to fit with a rack since they only have a very thin plastic tail. I would search for luggage options BEFORE deciding on a bike model.

For Givi and SW-Motech Twisted Throttle is a good US source: http://www.twistedthrottle.com

Hepco & Becker products are more difficult to find in the US - one option is to import them straight from Germany, for instance from http://www.moto24.org

In Europe it is very common to use hard luggage on sportbikes - that's why all the three companies are European. In North America hard luggage is much less common on sportbikes, most people use a backpack (which I think looks stupid, is very uncomfortable, does not allow you to carry heavy things, and doesn't allow you to lock stuff up on the bike) or a tank bag that is mounted to the tank usually with magnets but sometimes with straps or suction mounts. Many tank bags can be converted into backpacks, and they provide many advantages compared to normal backpacks - but they provide much less security than hard luggage and usually provide less space.

Also, keep in mind that most motorcycle luggage has very low weight limits. For instance, you can only load up to 22lbs into most top or side cases, and you can only load 10lbs into most tank bags. Also, motorcycle luggage is very expensive - a top case rack with a good-quality Givi top case can cost up to $600. Even just a tank bag often costs $100 or more.

I have a Givi top case on my Kawasaki Ninja 500R and it's one of the best purchases I ever made. It's huge and extremely convenient. Recently I also purchased a small Nelson-Rigg tank bag since sometimes it's nice to have something that you can take with you, for instance to carry your wallet, camera, etc. This way I can also use both at the same time if I go, say, on a week-long trip.
 
If you are thinking of downsizing to only a bike, here are some things to consider (I have done this while in college)
A sport bike offers no storage, and most of the aftermarket luggage ruins the look and handling of the bike.
Sport bikes are extremely expensive to insure for our age group. My insurance bill actually cost about half of what I paid for the bike when I had a 06 kawi zx6r 636. Thankfully I paid cash for it and could drop the coverage to liability only, but when it was tipped over in a parking lot, I had to come out of pocket to fix the damage.
The riding position is pretty uncomfortable for any extended distance.
You will have no place to keep your rain gear, and trust me, It will rain, and you will be stuck without your gear.
On storage: Most of the riders in my College MC ride sport bikes, and commute to school with a backpack. Only one of them other than me ever did not also have a car, and he after a couple months ended up buying a car.
One thing most new riders fail to consider is the cost of ownership or a sport bike. Insurance is ridiculous, tires are quite expensive, and most have 2500 mile service intervals, which means they need to have a service every couple of months if you ride a lot. Also, if and when you drop it, the plastics are very expensive to replace and repaint.

While living without a car and only a bike, I have had both crusiers and sport bikes. Cruisers win... period. A simple honda shadow 750 with a windshield and saddlebags can be had for less than 3 grand in most areas, and will not disappoint. Cruisers can have pillion seats and sissy bars, which make great anchors for bags and storage. There are many more aftermarket options for luggage for cruisers in the US for all manufacturers than for sport bikes.

I was in your shoes 3 years ago, in college, my car crapped out on me, and I had a little cash in the bank. I bought a sport bike and tried it for a while. The bike was fun, but it was far from practical, and was traded for a cruiser within a few months. I love all bikes, and have had several (kawi ninja 250, honda shadow 600, harley vrod, harley fatboy, harley electra glide, kawi zx6r 636, yamaha fz1, bmw k1200s and victory kingpin deluxe) , but no bike for me has served better than my 06 Victory Kingpin with the shield and locking saddlebags. I ride it to school every day.

For the only vehicle, if you want a bike, take the MSF course and see if you like riding. If you get addicted, like most of us on here, get yourself a cheap cruiser and learn to ride it WELL. Your ability to be aware of your surroundings, control your machine, and respect for the caged idiots on the road is what will help keep you alive but it does not always work. One of the best and safest riders I know was a founding member of my club and a few months ago a drunk girl pulled out in front of him and he died on impact. It can happen to anybody, and you must be willing to accept the responsibility for your own survival, and for the well being of any passenger you may have.

If you feel you must have a sport style motorcycle, avoid any 600cc race class bike. That is the honda CBR600rr, Yamaha R6, Kawasaki ZX6R, and the Suzuki GSXR. These are essentially street legal race bikes and while fun and popular, they serve little utility other than track riding or mountain weekends.
Some better sport style options are the ninja 250, cbr 250, gs500, ninja 650, and sv650.
Most cruisers under 1000cc will be fine for a new rider, I recommend the shadow 750 because it is small enough to be easy to handle, but large and heavy enough to prepare you for a bigger bike, which you will eventually want.

I hope this helps, good luck with whatever you decide.
 
The underseat storage on any sportbike will be able to carry your documents, a pack of smokes, a lighter and that's about it. You would need to wear a backpack or buy luggage for the bike if you can even fit them on it.
 
Most any 'sports-bike' has no storage space when stock. A well fitting backpack or an add-on storage carrier such as GiVi are the only ways to go.

But you failed to mention the MSF (motorcycle safety course) you were planning on taking before you give a car to your younger brother. You're a college student even if only in community college, get smart!
 
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